Small reasons make for a big smile at Delhi zoo

At a time when you may feel bogged down by factors like terrorism and the global economic meltdown, a place in the heart of the city—the Delhi Zoo—offers you many little reasons to visit its sylvan surroundings. Namely, the zoo’s newborn.

The latest is a one-day-old giraffe, a male offspring of couple Ankit and Anita, who were brought here from Kolkata. The barely-able-to-stand baby was seen on Thursday basking in the sun with his mother. Parents, with children in tow, were visibly regaled with the way the newborn was playful around its mother, trying to feed and even trying to walk on its own.

With this arrival, the Delhi zoo now has five giraffes, including the couple. The other two are males, zoo officials said.

Another male , a rhinoceros, arrived in the zoo three weeks ago. The baby’s mother is Maheshwari, who was also born here. “However, the baby has not yet been taken out of its shelter. It will be brought out in the open after a few days only,” said a zoo official.